October is an interesting month for movies. September is usually the dumping ground of shit films and November is when awards-season films start premiering across the country. So, October is a mix of both.

“50/50″ and “The Ides of March” are my two favorite movies I’ve seen this month and, I believe, the films you should go see now instead of crap like “The Three Musketeers” (hasn’t this movie been made, literally, a million times? I swear. I’m going to go look on IMDB [10 seconds late] Oh, I’m sorry. ONLY 29.) and “Paranormal Activity” (you are aware it’s the same movie, right? Like, almost literally the same movie. You’re paying good money to see the same movie for a third time.)

“50/50″ – A powerful indie film about friendship, love, and cancer. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the title character, a man diagnosed with cancer. His mother, played by the amazing Angelica Huston, is the next best part of this film. I think almost everyone has had this mother: she freaks out over everything and loves you too much.

Levitt’s character, Adam, is forced through more turmoil after he finds out his girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) is cheating on him. That leaves his therapist, Anna Kendrick, and best friend, Seth Rogen to help him out.

Levitt is phenomenal in this film and holds everything together. It has to be difficult to make a comedy with cancer as the centerpiece, but with him as the lead, it works very well.

It’s nice to see Kendrick getting more great roles and breaking out of the “Twilight” hell she is still in. It’s odd that, out of everyone from those movies, she’ll probably have the most longevity as an actress.

And then there’s Seth Rogen. I use to like Seth Rogen. Hell, I defended him to my friends who hated him. But now, I don’t like him. I get it, Seth: you like pot. You like talking about it. You like smoking it. You like talking about it while you smoke it. Please, let’s move on. I think he could do some great work if he had a director who challenged him. Right now, all his reactions are the same. He acts the same way in every movie. P.T. Anderson showed the world that Adam Sandler could, in fact, act. Let’s get him in an Anderson film and see what happens.

But, Rogen aside, it’s a fantastic film that is worth your money. Please, give money to this film. Hell, if you want to see “Paranormal Activity 15,” fine, but pay for a ticket to “50/50″ and hop over to it.

“The Ides of March” – If you don’t like political thrillers that are wordy and require you to pay attention to details, then go see shitty movies like “The Three Musketeers” or “Paranormal Activity 56.” George Clooney proves, again, why he is one of the top actors in the world and, one of the top directors.

Clooney plays a nominee for the Democratic Presidential ticket. His closets aides are Philip Seymour-Hoffman and the ever so dreamy, Ryan Gosling.

Gosling is a young guy with clear and good ideals. He wants politicians to be nice and clean and love Americans more than corporations. That’s why he is with Clooney. But, as the film goes on, he learns quickly that once you’re a politician, you’re always a politician.

It’s a fantastic film that I recommend you seeing. It’s main issue is simple: who is hotter, Clooney or Gosling? It’s hard for me to decide, because I look like a spitting image of George Clooney. It’s uncanny. Yet, part of me wants to go with Gosling. Is this because I think it’s weird to want to have sex with myself (Clooney)?

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We may never know.

Posted: October 24th, 2011 under Reviews, Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
Comments: none

Our pal Baron Vaughn will be making his late night television debut on Conan tonight! He’ll be performing a set and promoting his new album “Raised By Cable.” Joining Baron on tonight’s program is Roseanne Barr and Paul D. Fantastically random.

Here’s a classic clip from Baron to tide you over!

Posted: September 13th, 2011 under Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
Comments: 14

10 years after the tragic events of September 11th, CNN looks back on comedy in New York City following the attacks. Marc Maron, Bill Burr, Jon Stewart, and others, reflect on what it was like to perform during such a strange, dark time. Have a look.

Posted: September 9th, 2011 under Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
Comments: 17

Janine Brito, Nato Green, and W Kamau Bell, collectively known as Laughter Against the Machine, are on the brink of kick starting their upcoming tour of America, and they can use your help. If you’re a fan of political comedy in the vain of Mort Sahl, Dick Gregory, or the Daily Show, then please consider contributing a few bucks to their efforts. Their project will only be funded if at least $20,000 is pledged by Friday Sep 9. They’re currently at 18,200. So close!

Learn about their project:

In Janine’s words:

This country is in turmoil, our economy is in shambles, corporations count as people, and homophobic Puerto Rican senators are posting nude photos of themselves on Grindr to “document their weight-loss regimen.” But we don’t have to tell you this. If you are a fan of Rooftop that probably means you know all this and use comedy to take a break and/or get new perspective on the world out there. Well, three comics/Rooftop Favorites, Nato Green, Janine Brito, and W. Kamau Bell are going to go directly to some of the sources of the “trouble” and see if we can help or at least if they can use a laugh. We are Laughter Against The Machine. We are going on tour to a few of America’s current (and classic) political hotspots: Phoenix AZ, Chicago IL, Dearborn/Detroit MI, Madison WI, New Orleans, Washington DC, and Oakland CA. And we need your help! We leave THIS Saturday and we literally only have hours to go to raise the money we need for the tour and a documentary about the tour. We are asking the questions: Is there hope for America? And can comedy help? Please check out our Kickstarter where you can pledge money and get some cool rewards. And if we happen to be in one of your cities, then please come see the show live. And if you can’t do either but want to help, then please spread the word to your like-minded peoples. Laughter Against The Machine wants to be the campfire for the revolution!

Contribute to Laughter Against the Machine

Posted: September 7th, 2011 under Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
Comments: 1

Reiders. How kind of you to join me again.

I am only a couple weeks away now from my year anniversary in New York City. It’s already been a year –I am in a state of minor disbelief. Lately at work, I’ve been taking extra bathroom breaks, sitting on the toilet, and listening to old sets of mine I recorded on my phone. It helps pass the time, while also providing some insight into just how far I’ve come. Listening back to even February (sometimes I don’t dare dredge up October and September, they were a little rough), I’m amazed how far I have come. I hear jokes and wonder, “Where did I think that was going? Why couldn’t I get to the point?” I was so jittery on stage, I could hardly stick to a topic, and if I did a lot of the times it was so abstract with no real point or reason. Then again, some of the sets went great –as nice as it is to think I’ve improved so tremendously, I can’t be unreasonable and hate everything I did back then. But the point remains: I’ve come a long way.

I think the first five months were the worst. I lacked confidence, didn’t know anyone, was alone for a while heading out to mics and shows. I was lonely, and you can hear it in the jokes I was doing: “Do you ever get depressed and start eating ice cream, only to stop so you can save some for when you’re depressed tomorrow?” After that though, I found my group of friends, started getting booked on shows, and everything has gone uphill from there. Those first months though, I am happy to know I will never have to do that again, but on the same note happy that I could get through it.

This past week I was booked on five separate shows in the city, the most I’ve been booked on in one week as of yet. These were also some of the best shows I’ve done in the city as well –incredibly booked, great audiences, great reactions. I’m starting to get really confident in some of my material, and finding a way to lead audiences into my more abstract jokes. One of my new bits, one I actually really like, is surprisingly observational and clear to understand. It’s a joke where the idea is so relatable yet unaddressed, that one of the bigger laughs I get is by simply stating the truth of the matter. This is something very new for me. Yet I still perform it in my style, it still feels very “Reid” despite being relatively simple and straightforward. I’ve been pairing this with some shorter punchier jokes in the beginning, and have found it is so much easier to tackle the more abstract, convoluted, patience-requiring material I love so much. These are the kinds of ideas I would have never thought of when I first arrived. Sure, I knew I had to lead audiences into my style, but most of the time this was done by sacrificing what I like for what works with the audience, so that when I finally did make the leap into “my” material, they were still lost. I’m learning how to guide people in and make what I do relatable, as absurd as that may seem.

This past week felt especially good considering I was still feeling down about missing some work at my home club in Cincinnati. A good friend of mine, Ryan Singer, was heading back for his first headlining week there, and had hoped to bring me with him as his feature. I was really excited about it, the owner had told me even the year prior he was looking for a time when I could feature (doing the middle, 20-25 minute act) there, and I was looking forward to returning. When Ryan suggested it though, it was shot down, and for good reasons. It was Ryan’s first time headlining there, it would be my first time featuring there, not to mention that given our styles it would be the weirdest piece of shit ever. The show would simply be too much of a risk, and though I understand that, I was still disappointed. I found this out only a week after getting rejected from the Comic Strip for very similar reasons –being too alternative, too weird for club audiences. My confidence took a definite dip. Yet it felt like this week New York was making it up to me. Some of the people I performed for (namely the drunk patrons of a Thai restaurant on a beach) were clearly not my type of crowd, were not into comedy, and were not seeking out the strange and alternative. But when I did “my” material and did great, hell, better than I could’ve imagined given the scenario, it felt very good. Sure, I can be a risk, what I do is not really within the norm, but I can still make people laugh –and if I do that one where I kiss myself as a twelve year old boy just right, I can make them laugh hard.

This year has been very difficult at points, but I don’t think I’ve been happier with any other choice. I’ve learned and improved more than I could have anywhere else almost, and all it took was feeling like a wet piece of shit for a few months.

GUEST SENTENCE: Reid from October –“Oh, I’m a sad little boy. Why is the joke about the new Bible I’m writing not working? Boo hoo, I wish I had friends.” As OctoberReid went over his sentence allotment, he will not be returning.

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Watch clips by Reid

Posted: August 25th, 2011 under Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
Comments: 35

New York Magazine’s “Vulture” published Marc Maron’s “5 Comedians to Watch” list today. We were very pleased and not at all surprised to see a few very familiar Rooftop faves on the list.

Kyle Kinane

The cranky guy. The cranky guy is one of my favorite comedy archetypes. If it doesn’t come naturally and is forced, it stinks. There is a fine line between being a crank and a complainer. Kyle is a seamless raconteur with a genuine voice of the ageless, cranky poet. – Maron

Amber Preston

The brassy gal. I like ballsy women who know their way around a stage. Amber Preston kicks ass. She has great jokes and she doesn’t take any shit. She’s the kind of comic who could play a one-nighter at a bowling alley or a 1,000-seat theater and just nail it. I think she could beat me up. – Maron

Ryan Singer

The absurd optimist. Ryan Singer is the most intentionally happy person I know. Which either means he is really happy or is about to lose his fucking mind. I like Ryan because he is weird onstage and commits to it. It’s not an alienating weird; it’s a happy, embracing weird. If people don’t embrace it, he just gets weirder. I love that. – Maron

Congrats to Amber Preston, Kyle Kinane, Joe Mande, Pete Holmes, and Ryan Singer. Being on Maron’s “Comedians to Watch” list is like being anointed by god.

Check out the rest of the list on Vulture.

Pick up Marc Maron’s new album, “This Has to be Funny”, which was released today.

Posted: August 9th, 2011 under Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
Comments: 11

Rooftop Comedy is thrilled to help produce the Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy from August 3-7^th in Lucy’s hometown, Jamestown, NY. In addition to 100^th birthday celebrations and I Love Lucy tributes, the festival will present a lineup of stand-up legends, like Joan Rivers and Paula Poundstone, and rising stars including Nate Bargatze, Christina Pazsitzky, Costaki Econompoulos, Lamont Price, Jamie Ward, and Justin Schlegel. Schedule info and tickets are available at LucyComedyFest.com.

With Lucy Fest just around the corner, we’ll be publishing interviews with some of the featured comics. Jamie Ward is one of Atlanta’s hottest comics, performing regularly at the renowned Laughing Skull Lounge, and has shared the stage with Natasha Leggero, Ronn White, and more. Winner at this year’s Port City Top Comic Contest, Jamie’s comedy is sharp, witty, with just a speck of niceness.

Rooftop Comedy: How would you describe Lucy’s influence on comedy? Why are you excited to participate in Lucy Fest?

Jamie Ward: Lucy’s influence can only be described as legendary. She was an absolute comedy genius. My sister and I grew up watching old episodes of I Love Lucy, that in my opinion are still hilarious. There are not many “classic” comedy shows that stand the test of time as well.

RT: It’s Lucy’s 100^th birthday – what gift would you like to get her?

JW: I’d gather people together to celebrate laughter. I think this Lucy Fest is the most fitting tribute/gift you could give someone. In the short time I’ve been doing comedy, I’ve come to realize there is no greater feeling than sharing laughter with others. There is no object you could give her as a gift that would be more enjoyable.

RT: The Festival will host an attempt to set the Guinness World Record of the most amount of people dressed like Lucy Ricardo. Are you going to participate?

JW: I’d love to participate. I’m going to be pretty busy my short stay, so I’ll have to see if it fits in.

RT: How would you like your own 100^th birthday to be celebrated?

JW: For my 100th birthday, I wish for the coherency to perform somewhere, and just enough people who care that I’m alive to share it with.

RT: As Lucy and Desi had hoped, the Lucy-Desi Center has announced a long-term plan to develop a center for comedy including a Comedy Hall of Fame. Who would you propose as the first three inductees?

JW: This is such a hard question. There are so many amazing options so the only way to answer that is pick the three that I look to the most. Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, Bill Hicks.

RT: Any other shows or events that you have this summer that you’d like to share with us?

JW: I’m going to be performing at one of my favorite alternative comedy spots in Atlanta. I’m a special guest on the stand-up showcase at the Basement Theatre on the 28th of July.

Posted: July 27th, 2011 under Cool stuff from Rooftop Comedy, Interview, Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy, Ruminations, theorizations and stuff, Shows.
Comments: 26

The Best Medicine is a weekly podcast featuring Rooftop favorite Dan Gabriel and fellow funny comic Robert Duchaine. The podcast is aimed to “dispense advice to help our fellow man navigate through a turbulent world,” and boy, does it. With stories of life on the road, an impressive cast of guests, and hard hitting advice, BM will have you BM’ing yourself into hysterics. This week’s guest is comedian and former Golden State Warrior mascot Sadiki Fuller! Have a look!

Subscribe to the Best Medicine podcast on iTunes.

More from Dan Gabriel

Posted: July 25th, 2011 under Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
Comments: 32

From Ed Palencia, The Comedy Reviews Blog:

“I’ve listened to a few comedy albums this year from comedians who weren’t ready. They had some good ideas and starting points, but still… Just because someone has a buddy with an MP3 recorder doesn’t mean you should start in on artwork for your CD just yet. If you’re not ready, you’ll find yourself in the middle of the schoolyard with a tangle of jump rope around your feet.”

“But if you are ready…oh man, it’s a beautiful thing. Which brings me to the topic at hand: Adam Newman’s album, Not for Horses. To put it simply, Adam Newman was ready.”

Read the rest of Ed’s review on the Comedy Review site.

Pick up “Not for Horses” on Amazon

Posted: July 22nd, 2011 under Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
Comments: 40

Hello Reiders!

I like how my standard opening has gone from being ironic to heartfelt through the power of repetition. In some ways it upsets me, but then I calm down, and think about how much I love you all, then I feel better.

A couple weeks ago I co-produced my first show! Underbelly, the show I mentioned in last month’s blog post, finally had its New York premier, and it went damn fine. The whole premise is “Stand-Up Comedians Doing Everything but Stand-Up” –which I can happily say we more than delivered. Throughout the show there was a magic show, several skits, songs, dancing, puppets, myself topless covered in “cocaine”, and comic Nick Vatterott doing something with milk jugs that though I did not quite understand, left me full of pleasures and smiles. The show was pretty packed, we had a cake decorated like one of the performers “taking a shit in an ice cream sundae” and overall I was well pleased. Other comics are coming up to me pretty frequently with ideas, asking how to get on Underbelly –if I had any regret, it was waiting this long to put on a show.

It was a good highlight, which provided some wonderful perspective for a somewhat crushing low. Back in March I had my first audition for the Comic Strip, a respected New York comedy club, and after the second lottery I received my second audition spot, which I performed at last Tuesday night. The format was different: the audition itself was a show, complete with live judging, a proper host (Sherrod Small), a packed crowd, and an admittedly forced degree of severity and drama added to the show to make it interesting. “The judges are going to be mean, they’re going to try to rip you apart on stage, but it’s part of the show, don’t worry about it,” was what we were told before performing. My last audition went well enough; one of my jokes really connected, the other fell a little flat after rushing through it upon getting the light early. This was considerably worse. After waiting a couple hours, first for the show to start then for the long judging rounds to finish, I finally had my time to perform –for a minute and a half. Before me, each comic had their full time, the three to five minutes we were told we could perform, everyone getting five and some good feedback from the crowd. I got through one bit and the set-up for another before being audibly buzzed and forced to stop. “Maybe this kind of stuff will work downtown, but it would never work here. You’re too alt to work here.” “You didn’t even tell jokes, that’s the problem, you sat up there for five minutes and never told a joke.” And so on. One of the judges stood up for me a bit, arguing that I didn’t even have the time to get anywhere, that I was doing something different and no one knew what to expect, and we didn’t find out what I was even going to do. “He was trying something new and different, I don’t see why we can’t have a comic like this work here.” The crowd responded well to that, before the booker interrupted and pointed out that they weren’t laughing, that’s why acts like mine wouldn’t be booked. Finally I asked, “Please, I just have to know: did I get passed or not?”

Afterwards, the booker talked with me, this time friendly and complimentary. He thanked me for being a good sport, and told me that he liked that I was different, that I shouldn’t let go of that, that if this were an alternative room he’d book me in a heartbeat, and that he likes the weirder stuff but it just doesn’t work for this room. Great. The whole thing’s given me a lot to think about. I know what I’m doing is strange, isn’t stand-up in a conventional sense, and I understood going in that what I planned to do isn’t what they prefer. But to not even be given the time to do anything, to be cut off before I even had a chance to show what it is that I do, that was rough. At least when I look at it I can’t say I had a bad set –I just didn’t have a set. Matters were slightly complicated when my roommate followed me, riffed with the judges beautifully and got both passed to work at the club and received management in the same night. It’s not always fun to have one of your worst nights in comedy a few minutes before one of your closest friends has his best. But in all honesty, though of course it hurts a bit to see someone else get opportunities you didn’t, I can’t be anything but proud for him. The timing, perhaps, stings a little, but it’s good to see someone talented get what’s coming to them. I hope that’s some kind of maturity.

In summary: it was a miserable experience. It left me doubting my material in a club setting, feeling embarrassed, a bit angry, and further frustrated from the booker’s positive comments and the suspicion that the harsh treatment was only for the sake of the show, which is a wonderful way to treat my only opportunity in a year. But oddly, I feel confident about it all. It was one of the worst experiences I could’ve had in that setting, and that’s made performing far easier since then. I performed the first two jokes twice at shows last night, to great reception, and have been taking a lot more risks with what I choose to perform –why not? It couldn’t be much worse than that. Somehow, it’s made comedy and writing new material go a lot smoother this last week. After that night, amid the support and nice words from my friends, I heard plenty of stories about the amazing comics the venue has ignored and rejected in the past. Here’s hoping I can be one of them.

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Posted: July 21st, 2011 under BIG CITY, LITTLE REID, Ruminations, theorizations and stuff.
Comments: 51